Florence Is Spraying Water on Cathedral Steps to Shoo Away Snacking Tourists

Visitors to Florence may have to pack their waterproof gear this summer—though it won’t be due to wet weather. Fed up with the large numbers of tourists who choose to sit on the steps of the city’s famous cathedrals, authorities have come up with a rather unusual solution: repeatedly hosing the sites down with water.

According to The Local, Florence mayor Dario Nardella announced the new tactic at a press conference on Wednesday, stating that the city plans to crack down on visitors who snack and litter outside major destinations like the Basilica of Santa Croce, a Franciscan church which dates back to the 13th century. "From today, we'll be experimenting with a very simple measure: pouring water over the church steps to clean the spaces, and hopefully discourage people from eating, drinking, and making a mess there," Nardella said. “The churches aren't restaurants; they are religious and cultural sites." He later clarified that "water cannons" would not be used.

So far, the Basilica of Santa Croce on the Piazza di Santa Croce, and the Santo Spirito church, located in the Oltrarno quarter, have been the first locations to receive a hosing down. Before the usual hordes of people could begin crowding outside the two cathedrals for lunch, street cleaners were dispatched to spray the steps with water in the hopes that it would be too wet for anyone to sit down (although given that average summer temperatures in the city hover around 88 degrees Fahrenheit, a spritz from a hose might prove somewhat refreshing).

Unsurprisingly, the initiative has received mixed reviews, with some criticizing it for forcing people to eat at expensive restaurants instead of grabbing an affordable bite while on the move. According to the Independent, Nardella said: “Tourism is a huge resource, but we need to protect the beauty of the city and enforce the law. Better a bit of water on the steps than dishing out fines for picnicking.”

It’s not exactly news that large numbers of tourists are often regarded as both a blessing and a curse—especially across major European cities where ancient sites are vulnerable to severe damage. In May, Venice issued a ban on fast food restaurants in an effort to curb littering and preserve the city’s character, while Rome has been coming up with all sorts of schemes to control the crowds and crack down on bad tourist behavior, from banning tour buses in the city center to introducing a “no-go zone” around the Colosseum at night. Those found picnicking on the city’s recently restored Spanish Steps are slapped with a heavy fine.

If the new measures are a success in Florence, there are plans to extend it further, possibly into the streets of the city center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whether tourists are permanently deterred from eating their gelato on various historic steps remains to be seen, but given how cheap flights to Italy are getting, it’s unlikely the crowds will wane anytime soon.